Machine for cutting green corn from the cob



NlTED I TATES Fries.

PATENT I DARIUS B. srnnn, or BLUE canes, IOWA.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 295,831, dated March25, 1884.

Application filed December 3, 1883.

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, DARIUS B. SPEER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Blue Grass, in the county of Scott and State of Iowa,

have invented a new and useful Machine for Cutting Green Corn from theCob, of which the following is a specification, reference being had tothe accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to machines for cutting green corn from the cobfor canning and and other purposes; and its object is to provide amachine of this class possessing superior advantages in point ofsimplicity, inexpensiven ess, durability, and general efficiency.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a sideelevation of a machine embodying myimprovements. Fig. 2 is avertical longitudinal sectional view of thesame. Fig.3 is a detail transverse sectional view through the hopper,taken on the line 3 y, Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a detail sectional view takenthrough the driving- .rod of the feed-rolls, the lever-block, and the-safety-pin on the line 00 m, Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a rear end view of themachine. Fig. 6 is a detail longitudinal sectional view taken throughone of the knife arms. Fig. 7 is a detail transverse sectional viewtaken through'one of the scrapers. Fig. 8 is a detail trans versesectional view taken through one of the guards. Fig. 9 is adetailperspective view, partly broken away, illustrating the plungerrod andplunger-head. w

Referring to the drawings, A designates a suitable bed-plate or table,which is preferably mounted upon legs 13, and is provided at its frontend with bearings O O, for a transverse crank shaft, D, havinga'band-wheel, E, or other means for communicating motion to the shaft.The crank-shaft is connected by. a

pitman, F, with a cross-head, G, sliding between guides H H, disposedlongitudinally on the table A, which cross-head carries a plunger-rod,I, having a sleeve, J, forming the plunger-head. Around theplunger-rod,and. between a shoulder, t', on the rod and an interior shoulder, j, onthe sleeve J, is disposed a coiled spring, .K, which acts against thesleeve to retain it in its normal position at the'rear end of theplunger-rod, the action of the spring being limited by heads or enlargemerits j, on the front ends of bars j j which (No model.)

pass through eyes 9 in lugs g on. the cross head and project forwardlyfrom an annular lateral flange, 1' at the front end of the collar J.This plunger and plunger head pass through a corresponding opening, 1,in a suitable frame, L, which projects from table A at the front endofthe hopper Q, and the oper- 'ation of the plunger is as follows: Onits rear stroke the plunger-head forces the ear of corn from the hopperto the cutting-knives, when the flange j engagesthe front face of theframe L and holds the collar or plunger-h cad against the tension ofthespring K to prevent the vplunger-head from going between the knives.

Thus the plunger-head is retained stationary while the plunger-rodcontinues the rearward stroke to force the ear frombetween the knives tothe scrapers beyond 5 but as soon as the forward stroke of theplunger-rod begins the tension of the spring returns the plunger-head toits normal position.

M is a suitable frame, projecting upward from the table A at the rear ofthe hopper, and provided with an opening, m, registering with theopeningl, and likewise adapted for the passage of the plunger. Betweenthese plates or frames L and M are journaled two approximatelysemicircular feed-rolls, N and 0, arranged, respectively, one above theother, and each provided with two longitudinal parallel semicirculargrooves, an 0 0, in their adjoining faces, as shown. These rolls areconnected by an endless encircling belt, P,

which is secured to the rolls by pins or screws 1) 10, so that the saidrolls will positively move held between the corresponding grooves of theI two rolls, as shown in Fig. 3, until the plunger forces it through theopening m onto the knives. The operation of the rolls is effected by twocross-levers, R R, which are pivoted to the under roll and to the endsof a lever-block, S,

which is retained on a transversely-reciprocating drive-rod, T, by meansof flanges s s, and by a safety-pin, U. The flanges s s obviate verticaldisplacement of the block S, and the said pin U normally locks the blockto the shaft and retains it from longitudinal movement on the same. Thispin U is seated in a suitable casing, U, which is secured to the underside of the rod T. The said casing contains a coiled spring, a, whichexerts its tension upon the pin U to force the beveled head a of thesaid pin through the rod T and into a correspondingly-beveled notch, s,in the under side of the block S. With this construction, if the feedshould become irregular and cause clogging or gorge in the rolls, or ifan ear of corn should engage the rolls in an endwise manner, the rollswill be locked against movement, and will cause a corresponding stoppageof the block S, while the power of the drive-rod T will overcome thetension of the spring a, and will force the pin U from engagement withthe block S, and permit the drive-rod to make its movement, while theblock S will remain stationary, and thus no damage will ensue to therolls or any other part of the mechanism. The drive-rod reciprocates inopenings a a in the frame A, and is provided at the side of the latterwith a plate or enlargement, t, having a vertical slot, t, which iscurved at each side at its central portion, 15 as shown, the purpose ofwhich will be presently described. At the outer side of this eye portion25 is provided an extension, t, of the drive-rod, which extension movesin guideslots v o in a lateral auxiliary frame, V, secured to thebase-plate A. In this frameV are 1)1O"ld6l bearings 12 e for the crankedend to of a longitudinally-extending crank-rod, \V, which is provided atits other end with a bevel-gear, 20, which meshes with a correspondinggear, (I, on the end of the main crankshaft D, and thus motion istransmitted from the main crank-shaft. The crank end to of the shaft WVengages the slot 16, and as the shaft IV is rotated the said crank endto will slide in the slot, and will act against the drive-rod, when theend engages the straight top part of the slot, to force the drive-rod inone direction. This action effects the elevation of an ear of corn 'bythe under roll, and, as the crank end to passes over the curved portiont, it simply holds the drive-rod'and roll until the ear of corn has beenpushed in between the knives and the plunger has partly returned. Thenthe crank end 10 engages the next straight portion of the slot, and thedriverod is forced in an opposite direction.

X designates four rearwardly-projecting arms, which extend from theframe M, and are provided at their rear ends with perforations 00, inwhich the knife-shanks 3 are adjustable against a coiled spring, Z. Inthe front faces of these shanks are provided grooves :10, in which thestems A of the knives A are fitted, these stems being provided withslots a", through which pass securing-bolts B extending also throughperforations in the shanks y, and nutted by a block, 0 to which the rearend of the guards D are hinged. By operating the bolts B the nuts orblocks C may be readily loosened or tightened, so that the knives may bereadily adjusted. The front ends of the guards are pivoted to rods E,passing through perforations in the front ends of the arms X. Theseguards are preferably provided with a concaved engaging edge.

F designates the scrapers, which are of right-angular form, and arepivoted, as shown at s, at the vertex of the angle to the shank y infront of the knives, and have their top ends acting against a spring orcushion, G, as shown. These scrapers serve to remove the particles ofgrain which remain on the cob after the latter has passed through theknives.

I claim as my invention- 1. In a machine for cutting corn from the cob,the combination of a hopperfeeding mechanism embodying two rolls,arranged one above the other, and provided with concave or semicirculargrooves in their adjoining faces, with mechanism for rocking these rollstogether, substantially as set forth.

2. In a machine for cutting corn from the cob, the combination of theherein-described hopper mechanism, comprising the two semicircularrolls, journaledone above the other, and provided with two parallelsemicircular grooves in their adjoining faces, inclined feeding-boardsarranged at each side of the rolls, devices connecting the rolls so thatthey will move positively together, and mechanism for rocking the rollsupon their bearings, substantially as set forth.

3. In a machine for cutting corn from the cob, the combination offeeding-rolls having grooves in their adjacent faces to receive the earsof corn, a reciprocating drive-rod, crosslevers connected with thedrive-rod and with one of the rolls, and operative mechanism to transmita rocking motion to the latter, substantially as set forth.

4. The combination of the feed-rolls having grooves in their adjoiningfaces, a drive-rod, mechanism for reciprocating the drive-rod, alever-block connected with the drive-rod, and provided with a bevelednotch, operating-levers pivoted to this block and to one of therolls,and an automatic spring-actuated safetypin engaging the notch, andadapted to become automatically disengaged by accidental gorge in thefeed, substantially as set forth.

5., The combination of the feed-rolls having I the grooves in theiradjoining faces, devices connecting the rolls, a transversereciprocating drive-rod having a vertical slot in its end, cross-leversconnecting this rod and the under roll, a crank-shaft engaging the saidslot, and operative mechanism, substantially as set forth.

6. The combination of the frame of the machine, the main crank-shaft,the plunger connected with said shaft, the feed-rolls journaled oneabove the other, and having the grooves in their adjoining faces,devices connectingthese rolls together, a transverse drive-rod having avertical slot curved or expanded at its central portion, devicesconnecting this rod and one of therolls, and a crank-shaft engaging theslot and connected with the main crank-shaft, substantially as setforth. 7. Thecombination, with the'stem of the knife containing thespring or cushion, of the approximately right angular scraper, 1fulcrumed at the vertex of the angle, and acting against the cushion,substantially as set forth. 8. The combination of the cutting mechanismembodying the stem of the knife, the

blade having a slotted shank, the nut, the securing-bolt passing'throughthe stem, the

shank, and the nut and the guards hinged to the said nut, substantiallyas set forth.

9. The combination, with the plunger-rod, of the tubular plunger-headhaving the annular flange at its end, the interposed spring, and devicesextending from the flange to the plunger. and limiting the action ofsaid a spring, substantiallyas set forth.

' In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have heretoaffixed my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

. DARIUs B. sienna. Witnesses:

O. BRANDT,

WM. H. Burrs.

